Thursday, December 9, 2010

Chimney Repair In Rochester Hills Michigan can still be done in cooler temperatures. Mark Maupin of Brick Repair LLC explains how to properly perform masonry restoration and repair in Michigan weather.

1. Use a mortar accelerator or calcium chloride to help the mortar set faster

2. Use warm water to mix your mortar and concrete this will also aid the mortar in setting up

The quality conscious masonry repair and restoration contractors at Brick Repair LLC take all the proper precautions necessary to ensure quality winter work is performed. Any experienced masonry contractor or chimney repair expert should without hesitation should be able to tell you what precautions they are going to implement to counteract cooler temperatures. Use of proper precautions does not negate common sense. Do not rush out to get a driveway poured in a freezing Michigan winter. What it does mean is if you have a masonry contractor with experience working a Michigan winter you can still receive quality work at a reasonable price.

This is how we go about a typical Michigan winter chimney repair. We will set up the scaffold and begin our demolition. Once the damaged brick on the chimney have been removed we will tarp in a heated enclosure where possible. A heated enclosure is really the most ideal method to lay brick in. In an ideal heated enclosure a mason may even be working in a t-shirt. When we are unable to tarp in a heated enclosure we will heat our brick, or heat the area we plan to tuckpoint. Accelerators and fast setting concretes are used to help achieve mortar and concrete strength. After laying the brick we will joint and tool the masonry joints then the heat wall again before brushing it.

When pouring concrete in the winter time similar methods are employed. Heating the concrete with a torch to help it set can be quite handy. Once your concrete is set you can tarp it and cover it with straw and/or blankets to help prevent any moisture in the concrete from freezing.

I hope this was helpful for anyone looking to get masonry work done in the winter, please feel free to call with any questions 1-248-895-7752

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Chimney Repair Rochester Hills: This is a warning about the danger of chimney fires and ways to prevent them. Most people don’t spend much time worrying about this potential dangerous situation. Why? Out of sight, out of mind. What you can’t see won’t hurt you…or will it?

When you burn wood in your fireplace the smoke it releases travels up the chimney. The smoke is full of matter that condenses on the flue liner. This matter is called creosote. As soon as the creosote has been produced, it continues to bond to the walls, waiting for a flame or spark to ignite it.

The type of wood that you burn can affect the amount of creosote that builds up along the flue liner. Unseasoned wood (green), for example, is the key perpetrator. Unseasoned wood hold a lot of moisture which needs to be removed in order for it to burn. Unseasoned wood produces a cooler smoke than seasoned wood and it is more likely to condense inside your chimney.

The temperature also plays an important role on the effects of your chimney. The cold air outside helps to cool off the smoke from your fireplace and also causes condensation to form creosote.

A chimney that runs up the side of your home rather than through the center is more likely to form condensation and creosote.

Failure to open the damper completely or closing the glass doors on your fire place will restrict airflow. Adequate air flow allows the smoke to escape before it condenses.

Bulky, compressed bundles of wood will burn cooler and cause more condensation. Hotter fires are best. Do not burn cardboard or paper in your fireplace because the small flaming pieces of ash can drift up your chimney and ignite the existing creosote.

There is no way to completely prevent creosote, but you can keep it down to a minimum. Chimney cleaning is the only way to remove creosote build-up and prevent chimney fires. Have your chimney cleaned on a regular basis to be safe.

A chimney repair and cleaning professional will also look for other damage that needs attention. If you have any doubts about the condition of your chimney, call a professional who specializes in chimney repair today.

The above information has been provided for the benefit of homeowners by Mark Allen Maupin of Brick Repair LLC He is a local Michigan masonry contractor with the last 16 years specialized in masonry restoration and Chimney repair. He is an expert at matching brick and mortar color. He will offer free estimates or answer question for any of the following services: Chimney rebuilds, Tuck pointing, Natural stone, Limestone replacement, Cultured stone, brick porch repair, Brick porch construction, Brick wall construction, pointing and work, grout replacement, and historic restoration.

Mr. Maupin looks forward to the opportunity to help you with and brick, block or stone project. Brick Repair LLC is building an extensive library of DIY devoted to the masonry trade.

We have spent years building a relationship with local masonry supply yard to provide you with the closest possible match in brick size color and texture. We are fully equipped for any masonry task.

Can’t find someone for small masonry repairs? No job to small for us! Let us help you restore the look of your home’s original masonry beauty.

Brick Repair, LLC strives to provide exemplary masonry restoration to damaged buildings, maintaining cosmetic and structural integrity while beautifying the community through expert handiwork. We provide a satisfying customer experience from demolition through debris removal. We wish to provide special care for historical buildings in need of restoration to help communities remain structurally sound and pleasing to the eye.